The ultimate expression of arguably the world’s first- and definitive- supercar, the SV variant of the iconic Lamborghini Miura appeared at the Geneva Salon in March 1971. The most powerful and aggressively styled production Miura, it was immediately distinguishable by dramatically flared rear arches accommodating wider wheels with fatter rubber, a reshaped nose aperture, the disappearance of the earlier ‘eyelashes’ above the pop-up headlights and a restyled interior with full leather trim and electric windows as standard. Under the skin the chassis was reinforced, the rear suspension redesigned and the engine developed further to give peak power of 385bhp, making the SV the most potent, best handling and most stable of all Miura variants.

Further improvements arrived late in 1971 with the separation of engine and gearbox oils (until now shared) by means of a split sump system, and the last 96 or so SVs (from just 150 built) boasted this feature. There were other small tweaks to individual cars, usually by special request, but in general the only real variation between SV models is whether or not they have the split sump.

One of the last batch of Miuras built, this European specification, split sump SV was ordered new in left-hand drive configuration by Lamborauto of Turin. Factory records show the engine was completed on 20th April 1972, dyno tested on 22nd April and fitted on 29th April. The car was completed on 12th May, featuring classic Rosso Corsa paintwork, black leather upholstery, steering lock (available only on the last SVs), French headlights and air conditioning, the only significant option available for the SV.

The car’s first owner was a Signor Fruttero in Turin who presumably enjoyed driving his new supercar as it returned to the factory for a check-up on 21st December that year with 12,028km on the odometer. The following year the SV passed to Signor Toffalori of Como, and after four years he sold it to Signor Bricchi of nearby Varese, still in the Italian lakes area. Not until 2004 did chassis ‘5020’ change hands again, this time to a collector in the Bergamo area who only parted with it reluctantly after acquiring another very special motor car in 2006.

Recently checked over mechanically by a German specialist, the car has covered just 28,000km and has never been crashed or fallen into disrepair. Beautifully preserved and still in its original Rosso Corsa livery with black leather, we believe this is the best original Miura SV available today, furthermore built to the ultimate specification. With interest in the Miura growing steadily and the model eligible for an ever wider range of events, the opportunity to acquire a totally original SV with all the ‘factory goodies’ is worth serious consideration.